DESCRIPTION
Keep the Law in Lawyer: The Importance of Knowing AND Following the Law
While lawyers are trained to advocate for others, they often find themselves at the center of the controversy when their own personal conduct crosses the line from "eccentric" to criminal. In this one-hour program, legal humorist Sean Carter examines the general categories of criminality that most frequently ensnare members of the bar. From the seemingly trivial world of petty larceny and shoplifting to the complex web of administrative fraud and government-targeted scams, this session provides a sobering look at how the ethics rules apply to a lawyer's life outside the courtroom. Using real-world examples of "lawpsided" behavior, the program explores why the disciplinary system often imposes harsher penalties than the criminal justice system and how a single lapse in judgment, whether on a city street corner or at a grocery store self-checkout, can permanently alter a lawyer's career.
In this unusual presentation, lawyers will learn:
- Why RPC Rule 8.4(b) means your private life is subject to professional scrutiny and how your fitness to practice is evaluated based on personal integrity.
- How cutting corners on government forms, taxes, and relief programs (like PPP loans) creates a permanent record of dishonesty that the Bar rarely overlooks.
- Why physical altercations and roadside rage are viewed as a fundamental failure of professional temperament
- How the most bizarre cases of the last decade illustrate the Bar's broad discretion to punish behavior that reflects a lack of good moral character.
- The reasons why disciplinary authorities often impose sanctions that far exceed the penalties handed down by criminal courts for the same conduct.
Disclaimer: All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.